Cartridge feeding mechanism



y 2, 1962 E. M. STONER 3,035,495

CARTRIDGE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 5, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 EUGENEM. STONE/Q 1 N H INVENTOR.

54 36 E 3 WW May 22, 1962 E. M. STONER CARTRIDGE FEEDING MECHANISM 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1958 EUGENE M. STo/vER INVENTOR.

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May 22, 1962 E. M. STONER CARTRIDGE FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed July 3. 1958 EUGENE M. STo/vER IN V EN TOR.

BY 1 M /4 Troy/v9 3,035,495 Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,495 CARTRIDGEFEEDING MECHANISM Eugene M. Stoner, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor toFairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of Maryland Filed July 3, 1958, Ser. No. 746,412 13 Claims.(Cl. 89-33) This invention relates to an automatic rifle and, moreparticularly to an automatic rifle which is adapted to be utilized witha clip of cartridges or to be utilized in conjunction with a belt ofcartridges to permit a machine gun-like action to be attained by theutilization of the rifle.

Conventional guns, of course, do not incorporate means for adapting themfor use alternatively as a semi-automatic or automatic rifle or as amachine gun. However, a great need has recently arisen for a mobilerifle which can be quickly adapted for use as a belt-fed machine gunwhen the need for such equipment should arise.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a rifle having areceiver which is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with either aclip of cartridges or with a demountable cartridge feeding mechanism,said cartridge feeding mechanism being insertible in the same portion ofthe receiver as the cartridge clip, and being adapted to receive a beltof cartridges to permit the rifle to operate as a machine gun-typeweapon.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a cartridge feedingmechanism which can be incorporated in a demountable structure of thecharacter described immediately hereinabove, or whose principles can beapplied with equal cogency to various types of belt-fed weapons. Inother Words, it is not intended that the construction and the principlesof operation of the cartridge feeding mechanism disclosed herein asincorporated in the demountable cartridge feeding mechanism be limitedto such particular use since, as will be obvious to those skilled in theart, the principles of the invention may be applied to permanentbuilt-in mechanisms of various types of belt-fed guns.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a convertible gun ofthe aforementioned character wherein the demountable cartridge feedingmechanism can be easily installed in the receiver portion of the weaponand as readily removed from operative relationshiptherewith and whereinthe demountable cartridge feeding mechanism includes a housing having anintegral portion adapted to engage the receiver of the gun in order thatthe cartridge feeding mechanism may be securely installed in thereceiver of the gun.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a demountablecartridge feeding mechanism of the aforementioned character whosehousing includes a cartridge passage, the walls of which extend beyondthe sides of the receiver when the housing is installed in saidreceiver, said passage having upper and lower sets of cartridgepropelling fingers or dogs associated therewith reciprocatable in saidpassage to propel cartridges into the receiver of the gun into aposition in which they Will be extracted from the belt or the clipsconstituting the same by the action of the bolt in said receiver,

One of the major problems encountered in belt-feeding mechanisms of theconventional type is the fact that jamming of the cartridge in thereceiver or breech of the gun with which the cartridge feeding mechanismis associated frequently occurs due to misalignment of the cartridge asit is propelled by the mechanism into the receiver portion of the gunwith which it is associated.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a cartridge feedingmechanism of the aforementioned character wherein the mechanismincorporates upper and lower sets of fingers adapted to propel thecartridges through the passage into the receiver of the gun with whichthe mechanism is associated and wherein the lower set of fingers, inaddition to propelling the cartridges into the cartridge releasing zoneof the gun where the cartridge is extracted by the bolt of the gun, alsoserves to partly support the cartridge in a predetermined position sothat the cartridge may be readily released from the associated beltwithout the possibility of jamming in the receiver portion of the gun.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings which are for thepurpose of illustration only and in which: 9

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a convertible type gun constructedin accordance with the teachings of my invention and adapted for use asa machine gun-type gun;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which thereceiver of the gun may be opened to permit the installation of ademountable cartridge feeding mechanism constructed in accordance withthe teachings of my invention in said receiver or to permit saiddemountable cartridge feeding mechanism to be removed from opera- '=tiveassociation with said receiver;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the utilization of the gun inconjunction with a cartridge clip mounted in the receiver of the gun;

FIG. 4 is a vertical, sectional view of the receiver portion of the gunof my invention;

FIG. 5 is a vertical, partly sectional view taken from the broken line5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 66 of FIG.5

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the bolt incorporatedin the gun of my invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken from the brokenline 88 of FIG. 6 and showing the cartridge clip stripping portion ofthe demountable cartridge feeding mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a vertical, sectional view of the receiver portion of the gunof my invention;

FIG. 10 is a vertical, sectional view taken from the broken line 1010 ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 11-11 ofFIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on the broken line 12-12of FIG. l'0g'and FIG. 13 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken on thebroken line 1313 of FIG. 10.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, I showa convertible rifle 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings ofmy invention and including a barrel 12, a receiver 14, and a butt 16.The rifle 10 is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings as adapted for use inconjunction with a belt 18 of cartridges 20, said belt beingconstituted, as best shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 11 of the drawings, by aplurality of cartridge clips 22 constituted by semi-circular legs 24having slots 26 in the upper extremities thereof.

In utilizing the rifle 10 as a machine gun-type weapon, a heavier barrel12 is mounted upon the receiver 14 than is customarily utilized when therifle 10 is used as an automatic or semi-automatic gun and, if desired,a bipod 28 can be mounted upon the forward extremity of the rifle 10.The rifle 10 incorporates a bolt 30, best shown in FIGS. 4-7 and 9-11 ofthe drawings, said bolt being gas-energized and adapted to bereciprocated within the receiver 14 in a manner described in mycopending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No.603,913, filed August 14, 1956, entitled: Gas Operated Bolt and CarrierSystem, now US. Patent No. 2,951,424.

Since the present invention is not concerned with the mechanism forenergizing the bolt 30, no disclosure thereof is to be found herein.

The receiver 14 is fabricated by means of conventional forging processesfrom aluminum or other metal and includes an upper portion 32 which ispivotally mounted at 34, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, forrelative movement upon the lower portion 36 thereof. The upper and lowerportions 32 and 36 of the receiver together define openings 38 and 44)in the opposite sides of the receiver for the reception of a demountablecartridge feeding mechanism 50, in a manner to be described in greaterdetail below.

The lower portion 36 of the receiver 14 incorporates a downwardlyopening receptacle 52 which is adapted, as best shown in FIG. 3 of thedrawings, to receive a clip 54 of cartridges when the rifle 10 is in useas an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. While the cartridge feedingmechanism is described as incorporated in a demountable cartridgefeeding mechanism 5i) adapted particularly for use in conjunction with aconvertible rifle 10, it is, of course, to be understood that thprinciples of the cartridge feeding mechanism can be applied with equalcogency to other types of belt fed guns and it is not intended that theinvention be limited to the incorporation of the princples thereof in ademountable type cartridge feeding mechanism.

The demountable cartridge feeding mechanism 50 is incorporated in ahousing 56, said housing having a depending rectangular portion 58 whichis received, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 11 of the drawings, within thedepending rectangular receptacle 52 of the lower portion 36 of thereceiver 14 and which serves to mount and retain the cartridge feedingmechanism 50 and the housing 56 in operative relationship with saidreceiver. The housing 56 may be formed by die-casting from aluminum orother light-weight metal and includes laterally extending top and bottomwalls 60 and 62, respectively, which together With the side walls 64define a cartridge receiving passage 70 for the reception of the belt 18of cartridges 20, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 11 of the drawings.

The opposite extremities of the cartridge receiving passage wallsproject through the openings 38 and 40 in the receiver 14, as best shownin FIGS. 6 and 11 of the drawings, and the belt 18 of cartridges isreceived in the lefthand extremity of the passage 70 whereby saidleft-hand extremity is designated as the cartridge receiving portion orzone 72 of the passage 70, the intermediate portion of the passage 70located in the receiver 14 being designated as the cartridge releasingzone 74 and the right-hand extremity of the passage 70 being designatedas the link ejecting zone 76.

The bolt 30, as best shown in FIGS. 4, S, 7, 9 and 11 of the drawings,incorporates an elongated cam groove 78, said cam groove, as best shownin PEG. 7 of the drawings, including an upper portion 80, anintermediate descending portion 82, and a lower dwell portion 84.Operatively engaged in the cam groove 78 is a cam follower 86 which isformed integrally with, or fastened to, an actuator slide 88, saidslide, as best shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, beingmounted for vertical reciprocation in guides 90 provided on the exteriorof the receiver 14.

Formed integrally with the lower extremity of the slide 88 is abifurcated connector 92 having a cam surface 94 on its lower extremity,as best shown in FIGS. 5 and of the drawings, for a purpose which willbe described in greater detail below.

Therefore, after the bolt 30 is reciprocated in the receiver 14 withreference to the breech of the barrel 12, the cam follower 86 movesvertically as it traverses the cam groove 73 in the side of the bolt 30to cause vertical reciprocation of the actuator slide 88. Therefore,since the upper portion of the elongated cam groove 73 is at the forwardextremity of the bolt 30, once the bolt 30 is in the retracted position,the cam fOllOWG 86 is located in the upper portion of the cam groove 78,as best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, while, when the bolt 30is in the extended position, the cam follower 86 is located in the lowerportion 84 of the cam groove 78, as best shown in FIG. 9 of thedrawings, to correspondingly locate the actuator slide 88 in itsuppermost and lowermost positions, respectively.

Mounted upon the side walls 64 of the passage 71 is a carriage which, asbest shown in FIGS. 46 of the drawings, includes top and bottom walls102 and 104, respectively, and side walls 106 and 103. The carriage 100is pivotally mounted for rockable or pivotal movement with respect tothe housing 56 of the cartridge feeding mechanism 50 on pivot pins 110which, as best shown in FiGS. 5 and 10 of the drawings, are secured inbosses 112 in the side walls 106 and 108 of the carriage 190 and whichhave their inner extremities located in recesses 114 and 116 in the sidewalls 64 of the passage 71 It should be noted at this juncture that thetop Wall 60 of the passage 76 is provided with elongated slots 118 andthat elongated slots 12% are also provided in the bottom wall 62 of saidpassage, as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6, l0 and 12 of the drawings.

Formed integrally with the interior surface of the top wall 102 of thecarriage 101) are spaced pairs of bosses 124, said bosses 124, as bestshown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, serving to mount an elongated shaft 126to which is fastened an upper set 130 of cartridge propelling fingers ordogs 132. Each of the cartridge propelling fingers or dogs 132 isfixedly attached to the shaft 126 by means of a pin 134, as best shownin FIG. 13 of the drawings.

Mounted in encompassing relationship with the shaft 126 is a torsionspring 136 which, as best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 of the drawings, hasits inner extremity 138 engaged in an opening 140 in the right-hand dog132. Therefore, the torsion spring serves to urge the upper set of dogs132 downwardly through the associated slots 118 in the top wall 60 ofthe passage 70 to bring the arcuate inner extremities of the dogs 132into engagement with the periphery of a cartridge 20, as best shown inFIG. 11 of the drawings.

It should be noted at this juncture that, as best shown in FIG. 12 ofthe drawings, the projecting extremity of the torsion spring 136overlies and extends beyond the slot 118 in the associated top wall 66of the passage 70 and thus serves as a stop to prevent the downwardmovement of the dogs 132 constituting the upper set 130 of dogs beyond apredetermined lower limit.

It will also be noted that the bosses 124 on the upper wall 162 of thecarriage 100 have their lower extremities located in the slots 118, thusserving to locate the carriage 1th with respect to the top wall 60 ofthe passage 79. The bottom wall 164 of the carriage 100 is provided witha plurality of bosses 144 which mount an elongated shaft 146 upon whichis secured a lower set 156 of elongated fingers or dogs 152. The dogs152 are provided with arcuate outer extremities and also with arcuateintermediate portions 154 and 156, respectively, which conform to theconfiguration of the cartridges 2% A torsion spring encompasses theshaft 146 and serves to urge the fingers or dogs 152 upwardly intoengagement with the appropriate cartridge 20, as best shown in FIG. 6 ofthe drawings. Mounted on the outer extremities of the shafts 126 and146, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 of the drawings, are release members162 and 164, respectively, which serve, when grasped between thefingers, to urge the dogs 132 and 152 out of the passage 7% to permitthe belt 18 to be withdrawn from operative relationship with thepassage.

Mounted in the boss 112 eccentrically with respect to the axis ofrotation of the carriage 101i is a pin 168, said pin having a rollersecured to its outer extremity which is engaged, as best shown in FIGS.5-10 of the drawings, in the bifurcated connector 92. A spring 172 islocated in a slot 174 in the pin 168 and serves to bias the pin 168 tothe right, viewed in FIGS. 5 and of the drawings. Therefore, the roller170 and pin 168 serve as the operative connection between the carriage100 and the vertically reciprocatable slide 88.

Mounted in the right-hand extremity of the passage 70 is a link ejector176, said ejector being constituted by a depending flange adapted toengage in the slot 26 in a link 24 as it moves therepast and to retainthe links 24 against forward movement when the bolt 30 extracts acartridge 20 from the belt 18, as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

When installing the cartridge feeding mechanism 50 in the rifle 10, itis merely necessary to remove the cartridge clip 54 from the receptacle52 and to break open the receiver 14 to permit the housing 56 of thedemountable cartridge feeding mechanism 50 to be inserted in thereceiver 14 by locating the depending mounting portion 58 of the housing56 in the receptacle 52. After the housing 56 has been so located, theupper portion 32 of the receiver 14 can be closed upon the lower portion36 thereof.

Of course, to properly engage the cam follower 86 in the cam groove 78,it is necessary to retract the bolt 31? by means of the lever 180 shownin FIG. 2 of the drawings, whereby the outer extremity 80 of the camgroove 78 can receive the cam follower 86. As the upper portion 32 ofthe receiver 14 is closed, the slide 88 and, more particularly, thebifurcated connector 92, has its cam portion 94 engage the roller 170which is deflected to the left against the bias of the spring 172 andwhich, after deflection to permit the passage of the bifurcatedconnector 92, moves to the right again and is engaged between thebifurcations of said connector.

When the upper portion 32 is closed upon the lower portion 36, theopposite extremities of the walls, defining the cartridge receivingpassage 70, extend beyond the confines of the receiver 14 through theopenings 38 and 40 in said receiver and a belt 18 of cartridges 20 maybe inserted through the left-hand extremity of the passage 70, as viewedin FIG. 6 of the drawings, to permit a cartridge 20 to be located in thereceiver 14 where the bolt 30 can engage said cartridge. During suchinsertion of the belt 18, the dogs 132 and 152 are urged upwardly anddownwardly, respectively, against the bias of the associated springs 136and 160.

Once the belt 18 has been properly inserted, the feeding mechanism 50 isready for use and, as the bolt 30 is reciprocated in the receiver 14,the actuator slide 88 will reciprocate vertically to cause correspondingrotation of the carriage 10d.

For instance, as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, thebolt 3% has been retracted into the receiver 14 raising the cam follower86 into the forward, upper portion of the cam groove 78 andcorrespondingly raising the actuator slide 38 to its uppermost, verticalposition. However, as the bolt 30 is extended into the breech of thebarrel 12, it picks off one of the cartridges 20, as best shown in FIG.6 of the drawings, and causes corresponding downward movement of the camfollower 86 and the associated actuator slide 88 which causes thecarriage 100 to be rotated or rocked into the position shown in FIGS. 9,10 and 11 of the drawings wherein the lower set of dogs 152 has beenretracted and the upper set of dogs 132 has been engaged upon acartridge 20 to partially carry it into the receiver 14 and into thecartridge releasing zone of the passage 70.

As the bolt 30' moves into its retracted position after the firing ofthe cartridge 20 which was previously released, as best shown in FIG. 6of the drawings, the slide 88 moves upwardly to pivot or rotate thecarriage 108 into the position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of thedrawings, wherein the upper fingers or dogs 132 have been retracted andthe lower set 150 of dogs 152 extended into the receiver 14 to place thecartridge in position for extraction by the bolt 39.

It will be noted that when the dogs 152 are located in the innermostposition shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, they serve to support thecartridge 20 within the receiver 14 of the rifle 10, thus augmenting thesupporting effect of the spring supports 18!) shown in FIG. 5 of thedrawings. The arcuate extremities 154 are thus closely engaged with theperimeter of the cartridge in the receiver and prevent dislocationthereof which might cause jamming of the bolt and the cartridge 21within the receiver of the rifle 10. It should also be noted that, asbest shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the upper dogs 132 are alreadyengaged behind the succeeding cartridge 20 and are ready, when the upperwall 102 of the carriage 1% is rocked inwardly toward the receiver 14,to urge any cartridge 20 into the receiver 14.

I thus provide by my invention a convertible gun which is characterizedby the ease with which it may be utilized as an automatic orsemi-automatic rifle, or machine guntype weapon.

Among the features of the convertible gun of my invention is theprovision of a demount able feeding mechanism which can be readily andeasily inserted in or removed from the receiver of the rifle and whichis adapted both -to feed the cartridges into the receiver of the rifleand to properly support the cartridges for extraction from the cartridgebelt by the bolt.

I claim:

1. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housingdefining a cartridge receiving passage and having a depending mountingportion thereupon below said passage; a carriage mounted for pivotalmovement with respect to said housing and located in proximity to saidpassage; a first set of cartridge feeding dogs mounted on said carriageabove said passage for engagement with a cartridge; and a second set ofcartridge feeding dogs mounted on said carriage below said passage forengagement with said cartridge.

2. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housingdefining a cartridge receiving passage and having a depending mountingportion thereupon below said passage; a carriage mounted adjacent saidpassage for movement relative thereto; a first cartridge feeding elementdisposed above said passage and mounted on said carriage forreciprocation in said passage; and a second cartridge feeding elementmounted on said carriage below said passage for reciprocation therein.

3. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housingdefining a cartridge receiving passage and said passage having openingsin its upper and lower walls, said housing having a depending mountingportion thereupon below said passage; a first set of dogs mounted aboveand extending into said passage for reciprocation through said upperwall opening; a second set of dogs mounted below and extending into saidpassage for reciprocation through said lower wall opening; and acarriage pivotally mounted adjacent said passage and having said dogssecured thereto for reciprocation thereby.

4. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housinghaving top and bottom walls and side walls defining a cartridgereceiving passage, said housing having a depending mounting portionthereupon below said passage; a pivotal carriage encompassing said wallsand mounted on said side walls; a first pair of cartridge feeding dogsmounted on said carriage for reciprocation in said passage; and a secondpair of cartridge feeding dogs mounted on said carriage forreciprocation in said passage.

5. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housinghaving top and bottom walls and side walls defining a cartridgereceiving passage, said top and bottom walls having elongated slotstherein and said passage having a transverse opening therein to permitcartridges to be fed therethrough; a pivotal carriage encom- 7 passingsaid walls and mounted on said side walls; a first pair of cartridgefeeding dogs mounted on said carriage for reciprocation in said top wallslots and in said passage; and a second pair of cartridge feeding dogsmounted on said carriage for reciprocation in said bottom wall slots andin said passage.

6. In a cartridge feeding mechanism, the combination of: a housinghaving walls defining a cartridge passage, the top and bottom walls ofsaid passage having elongated slots therein and said passage including acartridge receiving zone, a cartridge releasing zone and a link ejectingzone and said passage having a transverse opening therein to permitcartridges to be fed therethrough; a carriage mounted adjacent saidpassage; a pair of cartridge propelling dogs mounted on said carriagefor movement thereby through said top wall slots into said passage insaid cartridge receiving zone; and a pair of cartridge propelling dogsmounted on said carriage for movement thereby through said bottom wallslots and into said cartridge releasing zone.

7. In a demountable feeding mechanism adapted to be mounted in thereceiver of a rifle to convert it to machine gun operation, thecombination of: a housing having a receiver engaging portion and atransversely oriented cartridge passage defined by walls projectingbeyond said receiver engaging portion, the top and bottom walls of saidpassage incorporating elongated slots therein; a carriage mounted onsaid housing adjacent said passage and incorporating actuating means; anupper set of cartridge propelling dogs mounted on said carriage andextending downwardly into said passage through said top wall slots; anda lower set of cartridge propelling dogs mounted on said carriage andextending upwardly into said passage through said bottom Wall slots.

8. In a demountable feeding mechanism adapted to be mounted in thereceiver of a rifle to convert it to machine gun operation, thecombination of: a housing having a receiver engaging portion and atransversely oriented cartridge passage defined by walls projectingbeyond said receiver engaging portion, the top and bottom walls of saidpassage incorporating elongated slots therein; a carriage mounted onsaid housing adjacent said passage and incorporating actuating means; anupper set of cartridge propelling dogs mounted on said carriage andextending downwardly into said passage through said top wall slots; alower set of cartridge propelling dogs mounted on said carriage andextending upwardly into said passage through said bottom wall slots; andspring means connected to said upper and lower sets of dogs forrespectively urging them downwardly and upwardly.

9. In a gun adapted for use as a machine gun or a rifle, said gunincluding a receiver, a bolt reciprocable in said receiver and a slideconnected to said bolt and mounted on said receiver, the combination of:a demountable housing for an automatic cartridge feeding mechanismmounted in said receiver, said housing having a depending mountingportion interfi-tting with said receiver and a passage portion definedby walls extending beyond said receiver, the top and bottom walls ofsaid passage having slots therein; a carriage pivotally mounted on theside walls of said passage; a carriage actuator mounted thereupon andengageable with said slide; an upper set of cartridge propelling fingersdepending into said passage through said slots in said top wall; and alower set of cartridge propelling fingers extending upwardly into saidpassage through said slots in said bottom wall, said sets of fingersbeing pivotally mounted for movement on said carriage.

10. In a gun adapted for use as a machine gun or a rifle, said gunincluding a receiver, a bolt reciprocable in said receiver, and a slideconnected to said bolt and mounted on said receiver; the combination of:a demountable housing for an automatic cartridge feeding mechanismmounted in said receiver, said housing having a depending mountingportion inter-fitting with said receiver and a passage portion definedby walls extending beyond said receiver, the top and bottom walls ofsaid passage having slots therein; a carriage pivotally mounted on theside walls of said passage; a carriage actuator mounted thereupon andengageable with said slide; an upper set of cartridge propelling fingersdepending into said passage through said slots in said top wall; a lowerset of cartridge propelling fingers extending upwardly into said passagethrough said slots in said bottom wall, said sets of fingers beingpivotally mounted for movement on said carriage; and spring meansinterposed between said carriage and said actuator for causing movementof said upper and lower sets of fingers with respect to said carriage.

11. In a gun, the combination of: a receiver; a bolt movable in saidreceiver; an actuator mounted externally of said receiver andoperatively connected to said bolt; a housing demountably inserted insaid receiver and having a cartridge passage and a receiver engagingportion; a carriage mounted on said housing for movement relativethereto and connected to said actuator; an upper set of cartridgespropelling fingers on said carriage projecting into said passage; and alower set of cartridge propelling fingers on said carriage projectinginto said passage.

12. In a gun, the combination of: a receiver; a bolt movable in saidreceiver; an actuator mounted externally of said receiver andoperatively connected to said bolt; a housing demountably inserted insaid receiver and having a cartridge passage and a receiver engagingportion; a carriage mounted on said housing for movement relativethereto and connected to said actuator; an upper set of cartridgepropelling fingers on said carriage projecting into said passage; alower set of cartridge propelling fingers on said carriage projectinginto said passage; and spring means interposed between said carriage andsaid fingers to urge said fingers into said passage.

13. In a gun, the combination of: -a receiver, a bolt movable in saidreceiver; an actuator mounted externally of said receiver andoperatively connected to said belt; a housing demountably inserted insaid receiver and having a cartridge passage and a receiver engagingportion; a carriage mounted on said housing for movement relativethereto and connected to said actuator; an upper set of cartridgepropelling fingers on said carriage projecting into said passage; alower set of cartridge propelling fingers on said carirage projectinginto said passage; and release means connected to said fingers forreleasing the same from a belt of cartridges engaged thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS430,210 June 17, 1890 698,107 Knight Apr. 2, 1902 755,920 01in Mar. 29,1904 2,032,376 Moore Mar. 3, 1936 2,227,893 Benjamin Jan. 7, 19412,390,477 Trotter Dec. 4, 1945 2,401,909 Carlzen June 11, 1946 2,644,365Maillard July 7, 1953 2,875,671 Robinson Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS572,535 Great Britain Oct. 12, 1945 1,015,103 France July 2, 1952

